Smoke detectors not installed at 83% of homes

  • 2019-01-04
  • LETA/TBT Staff

RIGA - Wiring has never been inspected at 71 percent of homes in Latvia, while 83 percent of homes have no smoke detectors installed, according to a survey carried out by the State Fire and Rescue Service.

The Fire and Rescue Service did the survey last August, interviewing more than 10,400 respondents across Latvia.

The survey has found that fire safety measures that require some financial investment have not been implemented at most homes. Wiring has not been inspected at 71 percent of homes, while 83 percent of homes have no smoke detectors installed.

80 percent of respondents said that they knew where the nearest fire hydrant was located, and 89 percent said they knew what emergency number they had to call in case of a fire.

The Fire and Rescue Service reminds that a smoke detector will have to be installed in every home from January 2020, and that smoke detectors are comparatively inexpensive.